U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,497, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in entirety, discloses a connection system for connecting two or more marine propulsion devices together. The connection system provides a coupler that can be rotated in place, without detachment from other components, to adjust the distances between the tie bar arms. In addition, the use of various clevis ends and pairs of attachment plates on the components significantly reduces the possibility of creating moments when forces and their reactions occur between the various components.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,854, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in entirety, discloses a tie bar arrangement. The tie bar arrangement uses a rod end cartridge assembly that provides relative rotatability between an associated rod end and a coupler tube. The provision of a connecting link and steering arm adapter associated with the rod end cartridge assembly also provides relative rotation about first and second axes which allow sufficient flexibility to avoid placing the tie bar arrangement under excessive stress when one marine propulsion device is tilted relative to another marine propulsion device.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,056,169, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in entirety, discloses a connection device for a marine propulsion system in which a selective locking mechanism automatically connects or disconnects two components of the marine propulsion system together in response to rotation of a tube and a rod. This relative rotation of the tube and rod is caused automatically when one of the components of the marine propulsion system is rotated relative to the other component.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/052,263, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in entirety, discloses a marine propulsion system including multiple marine drives, a variable tie-bar including a hydraulic cylinder and an extensible and retractable plunger permitting extension and retraction of the plunger along a travel stroke to allow variable separation of the marine drives about respective steering axes, and a mechanical lock having a locking condition mechanically setting a fixed separation of the marine drives about their respective steering axes.